Santa Fe Railway The Super Chief

The Super Chief was one of the named passenger trains and the flagship of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was often referred to as "The Train of the Stars" because of the many celebrities who traveled on the streamliner between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California.
The Super Chief (assigned train Nos. 17 & 18) was the first Diesel-powered, all-Pullman sleeping car train in America, and it eclipsed the Chief as Santa Fe's standard bearer. The extra-fare Super Chief-1 commenced its maiden run from Dearborn Station in Chicago on May 12, 1936. Just over a year later, in May, 1937 the much-improved Super Chief-2 traversed the 2,227.3 miles (3,584.5 kilometers) from Los Angeles over recently upgraded tracks in 36 hours and 49 minutes, averaging 60 miles/hour overall, and often reaching 100 miles/hour.
From that day forward the Super Chief set a new standard for luxury rail travel in America. With only one set of equipment, the train initially operated but once a week from both Chicago and Los Angeles. However, at the height of its popularity, and with added equipment, the trains of the Super Chief made daily departures from both ends of the line. Adding to the train's mystique were its gourmet meals and Hollywood clientele.
Direct competitors to the Super Chief during its lifetime were the City of Los Angeles, a streamlined passenger train jointly operated by the Chicago and North Western Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad, and (to a lesser extent) the Golden State, a streamlined passenger train jointly operated by the Rock Island and Southern Pacific railroads. The Santa Fe Super Chief was one of the last passenger trains in the United States to carry an all-Pullman consist; only the Pennsylvania Railroad's Broadway Limited and the Illinois Central's Panama Limited survived longer. The train maintained its legendary high level of service until the end of Santa Fe passenger operations on May 1, 1971.

[@ACLTony]

Although Amtrak will likely never come close to what the Super Chief, Daylight, Broadway Limited, Florida Special, 20th Century Limited, and other streamliners offered, Amtrak has made a lot of good and noticeable improvements. If going to the same destination, I'll take an Amtrak train over a Southwest 737 anytime!

[@markschroeder2578]

Or any airline for that matter. Stay safe and healthy.

[@gisellesmith297]

This is so nice. My Parents and I took this Train May 1956 ,I was 13.We immigrated to the US coming over on the General Langfit Navy Ship.We came from Germany,landed in New York.Left on a Train to Chicago. Had a layover then boarded the Santa Fe Super Chief.We didn't have a sleeper but some nice lady let me sleep in her room. The Train was awesome and I loved the Indian which was on the Train. Such great memories arriving in Los Angeles.My Uncle met us and before getting into the car he took us to Philipe's across the street:-)

[@whoremembersluisalberni8526]

incredible!

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Hmmmmm did some research. This ship was a transport ship. First troops then refugees. I'm assuming you & your family achieved the American dream. I hope.

[@richardlynnbell]

My grandfather was a boilermaker for the Santa Fe Railroad.

[@ralphsanchico2452]

My grandfather drank Boilermakers on this train (lol)

[@cathrynm]

That Santa Fe engine paint scheme is pretty iconic. Actually I think the Amtrak private rooms are pretty nice, but barber shop on the train? That is next level.

[@aocruiser]

Dang I had no clue how luxurious this train was back then! Thanks for sharing Heath!

[@tommytruth7595]

Very few younger people do, all they know is Amtrak and that is a poor substitute. The passenger trains back then were the best form of travel this country ever had and we allowed them to vanish. The policies of our government actually caused that.

[@dannyo3317]

Smoking Boy seemed to love it.

[@markjosephbudgieridgard]

Wow what a gem!.... These vintage promo films are so enjoyable..... 👍

[@calbob750]

The Super Chief was the ultimate in luxury and people dressed for the occasion as this video shows. My last experience with the current Amtrak equivalent was similar to a trip on a Greyhound bus with rest rooms and guaranteed late arrival. Might as well fly.

[@railroadwolf]

What a wonderful video!. I'm a big time model train collector and vintage passenger trains are my true passion!.

[@claytonrowe8103]

Gorgeous train!!! Wondrous history!!!

[@wsboyette]

My favorite model train in my collection is a Lionel model of the Super Chief !

[@captainmorgan757]

Same here; however, I have the Super Chief, on 2 rail O scale. Members of the club and visitors alike comment on it!

[@williamschlenger1518]

Expensive in1954.

[@stephenmera8126]

it was the model lionel every kid wanted

[@captainmorgan757]

What a time! What a train!

[@jslasher1]

Amongst my favourite American passenger trains. Superb service and cuisine.

[@rjames45_3]

im only a 19 year old kid and i wish i was alive to ride the santa fe passenger trains :(

[@likestallwomen]

Yeah, and that's why Santa Fe told them to drop the name in 73 after the standards went downhill below what Santa Fe required, Santa fe took pride in their passenger trains all the way until Amtrak!

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Yes sir! When Amtrak was gonna renovate the old Hi-liner cars in the 80s ATSF was like "Hold up! We'll do it!"

[@calbob750]

My wife and I rode the Amtrak version of the Super Chief in 1971 still holding on. Several decades later the Amtrak version had fallen to level of a Greyhound bus with restrooms.

[@samtrak1204]

California Here I come! When I rode the Hi-Level El Capitan from Kansas City to LA in 1959 I was only 14 but I'll always remember that awesome Santa Fe adventure.

[@lesleydangelo-berggreen4571]

Thank you for this! I used to run up and down that stairway to the superdome ,brought back memories !!I was only 10 in 1960 and it is a fantastic memory brought to life by KZbin.soo cool .Thank you Heath for posting.

[@willberestartingthischanne9984]

I Love This Santa Fe Railroad Video

[@coleparker]

Given the nightmare that Airplane travel has become; I would luv to travel like that today. When I was in Mexico years ago, I traveled on trains like that.

[@tomfrantz]

Thank you for posting this...

[@kathleenwalker8842]

Love it! A great part of my history. 😊

[@chicmim]

My grandfather worked at the Santa Fe roundhouse in Newton, KS>

[@TouchoftheBrushModelWeathering]

i love when you put these shows on! i have this on tape LOL their french toast was the signature meal! LOL i wish i lived then! thanks for sharing!

[@PghTrainFanatic]

Heath, this is a really cool video! I wish I could have rode on the super chief! :D thanks for posting this!

[@SpaceisCold]

God I wish I lived back then. Railroad travel was so much better then it is today. Don't get me wrong amtrak is great but it isn't like it was.

[@eoj2495]

Great video. My grandpa made many trips on the super chief.

[@williamschlenger1518]

Beautiful train. I read the Pennsylvania railroad Pullman.

[@kevinhoward9593]

I actually read somewhere that the Super Chief was actually still making a cash cow for the Santa Fe but having Amtrak take over the train eliminated a lot of over head it didnt care to have on the most famous train ever conceived.

[@derrickwong5337]

Santa Fe Super Chief like Amtrak Southwest Chief for 52 years of history train.

[@BackshopRailProductions]

Oh yeah me too! This was rail travel amtrak can't hold nothing to this kind of rail travel...I have dining car menus from the 1950's and you could have a steak dinner with all the fixings plus desert for $ 4.75 cigarettes were $0.35 a pack and liquor was $0.50 for a old fashioned..Now that was the way to travel! Today's train travel doesn't have that class of the 1950's

[@ralphsanchico2452]

And every man wore a suit! If you see a man on a suit on Amtrak, people would think he's nutts!

[@whoremembersluisalberni8526]

Amazing!

[@johnkemper3451]

DONT FORGET TO 50 CENTS HR PAY LOL

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

@@ralphsanchico2452 ha ha! I worse shorts, flip flops & a t shirt! It may not be the 50s but Amtrak is better then any flight!

[@BackshopRailProductions]

Yes that's why they did drop the Super Chief name..Santa Fe didn't want Amtrak to take the Super Chief name..If you look at the luxurious Southern Crescent, Amtrak took over that name and now it's awful..I think the railroads should have done like the Santa Fe..drop the name of their luxurious named trains so Amtrak couldn't take over the name...Those trains had such class our trains today had nothing on the trains of the golden age of rail travel..

[@markschroeder2578]

True Amtrak had to name the train the Southwest Limited because Santa Fe was overly protective of the Super Chief name. But when Santa Fe discovered how Amtrak had improved, they allowed the Chief name to be used, which is why the train is known today as the Southwest Chief. Stay safe and healthy.

[@rafaucett]

A little trivia: The woman featured in the film (see 1:30) is actress Virginia Leith. 🙂

[@likestallwomen]

My great uncle did the same thing!

[@chiconian49]

These are great train videos. However, it makes me think how awful it would be to go back in time and ride one with everyone smoking. The cars must have smelled something awful. I never noticed as a little kid, because everyone, including my mom smoked and I was used to it. Later, when I moved to my own place and would visit my parents, I noticed their house smelled like an ashtray. I was sure glad when she quit.

[@whoremembersluisalberni8526]

I here that one.

[@willberestartingthischanne9984]

Santa Fe 2926 Will Have This Video

[@siskokidd]

My family traveled from Ohio to CA by this train (from Chicago on) in 1966. I have many strong memories about that trip as a young boy. Where would this film have been seen? Did they show them at movie theaters before features?

[@christopherdibble5872]

The engineers don't wave from the trains anymore, not like they did back in 1954!

[@owenmccarthy2521]

10:21 RIP!

[@johnkemper3451]

I WONDER IF THAT BABE "HOOKED UP" LOL I RODE THAT TRAIN CHICAGO TO LA IVE NEVER SLEPT SO GOOD AND THE DOME CAR WAS OFF THE CHART

[@jayjay60]

John she was holding out for her Los Ang gull eeze boyfriend while fending off the sales guy hitting on her three times! The "who the hell is this guy?" look when the boyfriend meets her is priceless!

[@clete3977]

2:24 YES! Let's smoke while riding in a tube! That smoke harms no one! 2:34 The obligatory black steward. I shall ignore him. 3:08 And... Action! Same scene: Of course I would get partially undressed in my cabin and then retreat to the bathroom to finish up. I've got four square feet after all! 4:00 Bogey slumming. 4:08 Rochester is back! 4:36 Would like to see this scene fleshed out a bit. 4:54 That IS a clean compact kitchen! I'm certain the chef was happy to work in such a space. 5:16 Rochester is back! And he's unobtrusive! 5:46 The Pleasure Dome Car! Now, remember, this is Whites only. Or so it seems. Informal friendliness! 6:13 Rochester! 6:40 Rochester! 7:03 Yeah puff that ya ex-flapper! 8:07 Rochester! 8:41 Because all Indians wore bejeweled moccasins. 9:07 Well we've seen the peasants. 9:40 No longer unfortunately. 10:31 Dude's like why are you talking to my lady? 11:09 Uh-oh! Mountains! Sorry Donner's but we're going around.

[@rigamarrow]

You could if Congress would get the lead out and fund amtrak'smaintenance and repair budget. There's dozens of super liner cars rusting away in Deelaware yards awaiting repair of minor collision damage. You could recreate the Superchief with that gear and run it on the original route from NYC to LA.

[@leftcoaster67]

Wasn't it from Chicago to LA?

[@rafaucett]

@@leftcoaster67 Correct. The Super Chief ran from Chicago to Los Angeles.

[@BlondeJedi]

What year was this film produced? Please always put that info in the Description.

[@mololo5555]

My Favorite is Santa Fe 3751

[@BackshopRailProductions]

I love the 3751 too, it's a shame the ATSF didn't save more of the steam locomotives.

[@OwenConcorde]

Which do you guys think which train is faster and safer? The 30's streamliner, 50's streamliner (Super Chief), Amtrak train, or high speed rail (Shinkansen/TGV)?

[@holden2lt]

I rode the super chief this year for Christmas

[@ApolloWasReal]

I was only 1 year old when this movie was made so I can't know for sure, but assuming the porters wore nametags I think the passengers could have bothered to read them.

[@mbart5113]

Why did the Santa Fe Super Chief go through the tunnel?

[@BlackWolfessUSCM]

This is a silly, but great video. And I bet Great Northern would like to challenge them as the "Greatest Train in America." :D

[@WDI2008]

@LionelKid18 But Amtrak has more luxury for passengers than Air Lines do today.Plus the food is better.

[@BackshopRailProductions]

They did read them...By calling the Porters George it was a way to degrade the black porters..If you get a chance watch the movie Rising From The Rails it's on KZbin....It tells all about what the porters had to go through on the passenger trains. It's a great movie!

[@MrSouthernman73]

@ 1:30-1:59 Hubba Hubba!!

[@joeljoseph6022]

The very lovely Virginia Leith.

[@phil700ag5]

And now Southwest Chief

[@951oct]

shes fine. I wonder how she look like now.

[@johnkemper3451]

TORN UP LOL

[@rafaucett]

Actress Virginia Leith. She passed away in 2019 at the age of 94.

[@BackshopRailProductions]

You are right man, he doesn't understand his railroad history...You can't fix stupid LOL

[@fhurlbrink]

Some watching because of the Lego sets?

[@BackshopRailProductions]

You are right things have changed for the better...I know black Pullman Porters were called George by the white passengers and their names weren't George......That was so sad the way they were treated by the white passengers on the train.

[@daleburrer1546]

It is great to see the past when it comes to railroading. Too bad there isn't much passenger train service like there used to be. Amtrak has fallen way behind compared to the Super Chief.

[@nicopavvi8494]

In the 50s all the trains were called "the best train in America"?

[@tommytruth7595]

All the railroads had a name train that they said was the best. It would be difficult to say which one was the best.

[@captainmorgan757]

By rights, Amtrak shouldn't be allowed to use the name of such a fine past passenger train. Government product is always substandard to quality.

[@odiecalodie]

Santa Fe gave Amtrak permission to use the name Chief. If you got a problem with that, you need to take it up with BNSF.

[@captainmorgan757]

@@odiecalodie lol I use to work for the BNSF! Regardless, I still have a problem with a lack of quality. I will never settle for that which is mediocre.

[@williamlaneve9236]

Love to have a time machine and do back and ride this.Everybody smoked back then and at about $0.28 a pack, oh well. Betcha you could have got a Jack Daniels (neat) at that bar for about $0.50 too.

[@tonkingulfyachtclub8111]

Life in America was so much better in the 1950s. Nothing was politically incorrect and no one was sexually ambiguous. People dressed for train and plane travel aboard the Super Chief, TWA Constellations and PanAm Clippers. So many things that were part of everyday life are now gone: Ladies wearing dresses, hats and nylons with seams, soda fountains, drive-in movies, the ice cream man, stick ball, tree forts, pushmobiles, turtle races, marbles, sling shots, big cars, cheap gas, Dinah Shore and Bettie Page! Baby Boomers: The luckiest generation!

[@whoremembersluisalberni8526]

Being sexually ambiguous has always been around. Women also worked the man's jobs of today, and didn't always wear dresses, a lot of times it was capris or slacks they wore, but everything else i'm with you!

[@michaelslane6654]

oh please. you must be a trumpster

[@tobygoodguy4032]

If it was so great, why didn't Americans continue to travel by a "rolling hotel on rails"? (That's a rhetorical question.) 🤠

[@jackmorrison7379]

So that was the way LA was pronounced, then? Los ANGLE-es. Those citrus groves to the east of Pasadena were already in the gun sights of the developers when this film was made. In those lounges and the dome car, was everyone humming "Smoke gets in your eyes"? So many smokers I thought I was in Europe. Different food handling rules back then, everyone in the kitchen bare-handed tossing your steak on the pan or the plate.

[@fujichrome64]

Yeah, Los ANGLE-eez. That’s the way Joe Friday a la Dragnet pronounced it, too. 😂

[@ApolloWasReal]

Some things have changed for the better, though. The passengers were all white, nearly all the attendants were black, and cigarettes were everywhere.

[@rigamarrow]

The Santa Fe merged with Burlington Northern which then mewrged with Norfolk Southern

[@nicopavvi8494]

But norfolk southern and Bnsf were two different companies now, right?

[@markschroeder2578]

BNSF and NS talked about merging but never did. Both railroads are independent today.

[@BackshopRailProductions]

Hell yeah! That was real train travel back then....I'm really going to piss off a bunch of Amtrak fans. But Amtrak is nothing but a glorified grayhound. I went on Amtrak and the dining car SUCKED! no real china and the food was horrible!! Amtrak will never measure up to the passenger trains of the 1940's and 1950's

[@nicopavvi8494]

I'm sorry, but if I had to choose, at this point, I'd rather take the plane; I took a greyhound only once, but it seemed terrible to me: a bus is as slow as a train and as uncomfortable as an airplane, it has really taken the negative sides of these means of transport. However I agree with you, the food on the streamliners of the 50s was definitely better than what they need on trains now.

[@GevoGenesis92]

@@nicopavvi8494 I'm an Amtrak but I'll admit I agree with your statement.

[@jayjay60]

With no advanced notice hey just dropped dining car service in 2018 on some overnight trains like the Capitol Limited. Oh boy .. crappy microwaved chicken wraps instead of my usual steak, wine and fresh apple pie.

[@TheRealGalaxyExpress999]

wish they didn't discontinue santa fe luxury trains for stupid Amtrak superliners :p

[@martinpokmat2252]

OMG, its so racist!!!!

[@a35504804]

Who is the actress??

[@rafaucett]

Virginia Leith